shitty shitty websites

[user_name]

has anyone else noticed how bad and user-unfriendly many grad programs sites are?

i feel like you have to search for things like app logins, addresses, instructions, how to pay, required documents, required formats, and pretty much everything that should be laid right out in front of you because 300+ other students have the same questions and are trying to find the answers.

just another little thing to add to the stress of applications and make prospective students worry whether they sent everything in right.

[Kitkat]

I had this problem a lot when I was trying to figure out what schools that I might want to apply to, and am still having to a lesser extent with the schools that I am applying to now.

With the ones I looked at, but am not looking to apply to, my main issue was that if you want to make it this difficult for me to find out simple information because I might want to go to your school, then why would I want to go there. It gave me the impression that if they are that sloppy about their website, they might be that sloppy in their program. While this might not be true, I feel that applying to grad school is a two way street in the sense that while I have to prove that I am worth them paying me to go there, they have to make me feel the program is worth going to. If I have a horrible time getting through the first time through their website, just to have a basic idea about it, it wasn't worth my time.

With the programs that I am applying to now, my main issue is in what I have to do with uploading a lot of documents. Some of them do it better then others. But at least with these programs, I was able to find all the information I need without a problem for the most part.

[Phil Sparrow]

It costs money to design and update a website. A fair amount of money if you want it done well, professionally, and efficiently (i.e., not by the random admin who is googling HTML coding). Humanities departments all over are being gutted funding-wise. Hence, little money for website overhauls.

Not that this helps, I realize. It's still annoying and frustrating.

[Timshel]

When I was narrowing down programs, I told myself that I would not apply anywhere that had a website that was hard to understand or didn't provide sufficient information. For me, it felt like their website was an indication of how smoothly things would go when I went there.

[user_name]

i don't think it's an issue of coding and/or website presentation. applying to astronomy programs last year, i came across websites as bad as Heaven's Gate's. it's more that the relevant information isn't posted anywhere on the site. agree with Timshel about taking it to mean something about the program.

[lolopixie]

Go to the graduate school homepage, scroll to the very bottom, look for address...it is always there.

[Grunty DaGnome]

Apply yourself is fond of telling me I'm already logged in and therefore can't access my application. If I'm already so logged in, how come I can't access my application? Answer that "apply yourself."

[yank in the M20]

Apply yourself is fond of telling me I'm already logged in and therefore can't access my application. If I'm already so logged in, how come I can't access my application? Answer that "apply yourself."

I had that same problem with one of my applications today! I shut down all my browsers--to no avail. Very frustrating! I'm glad I wasn't trying to get back into that application on deadline day. Any tips on how to circumvent?

[Grunty DaGnome]

Yank, at this point, I'm just planning to kill myself.

Or, I guess email the support address on Monday.

[yank in the M20]

I emailed the grad secretary and my email has been shunted along to two other people since and I've still heard nothing! We'll get there in the end, though, right?

[wintergirl]

Yank, at this point, I'm just planning to kill myself.

Or, I guess email the support address on Monday.

I emailed the grad secretary and my email has been shunted along to two other people since and I've still heard nothing! We'll get there in the end, though, right?

Sorry if this is obvious, but have y'all tried logging in with a different browser? I use Firefox almost exclusively, but two of my apps (maybe also on ApplyYourself) only respond to my input password and PIN if I'm using Internet Explorer.

I smell a Microsoft/Skynet conspiracy.

[yank in the M20]

Ahhh, I use Firefox as well! I'll do the same. Thanks Bespeckled!

[Grunty DaGnome]

I was using explorer when I got the "locked out" message. I switched to firefox and got in to my application, but when my login timed out, I tried to log in again and got the same message

But FYI, Brown's version of the embark application requires firefox or the most recent version of explorer.

Maybe if these applications fall through, I can get a job in IT somewhere?

[Mistral]

Has anyone had difficulties with the applyweb online application that some schools use (Ohio State, University of Georgia)? One of my recommenders just told me that she uploaded a letter for one school using the link that was sent to her and received confirmation from the other school...

[lolopixie]

Last year the LSU apply yourself recommender app said it didn't receive one of my recs even though the prof got confirmation. I emailed and called and emailed and called...no one could find the information - not even IT dept. I wound up sending him a paper copy and having that sent in. Then magically the day after I mail him the paper copy, it shows up online. The program seems to be plagued with problems. Call the school and see if they are showing it posted because that is very odd.

[perrykm2]

YES, this is so annoying.

I'm spending thousands of dollars on my app process just to maybe possibly get into your school, and you can't even have a FAQ section.

Something else that's been bothering me are schools that don't allow you to prompt LOR emails until you pay your fee. They have to realize how inconvenient that is. Although, so far that has been only Penn State for me.

[ecritdansleau]

Ugh. One of my recommenders told me when submitting a letter that the deadline showing up on the form she had to fill out was "December 1st" even though the English department states their deadline is December 5th. Now I'm freaking out because one of my letters for that program has still not been submitted (as it needn't be, according the deadline the website tells me?). This is Berkeley, btw. Wtf?! I hope it doesn't block my last recommender from submitting before Monday.

Not to mention, the professor who was giving me the heads up about it must think I just absentmindedly wrote down the date wrong. Argh, but it's the website. I'm not wrong! For some reason making *me* look stupid is the last straw, haha.

Has anyone else had a program that requires LOR submissions BEFORE the application deadline???? Which was nowhere stated anywhere on the website?? I guess I'll see how this turns out in the next few days.

Edited December 1, 2011 by ecritdansleau

[perrykm2]

No. That's awful.

[speculum]

Tweaking the size of my transcript scan on Photoshop so that it was still legible but met the TINY upload limit was a Sisyphean task...something so simple should not have taken so much time...

Also, anyone applying to UMass Amherst notice that though they require a writing sample there is absolutely no indication of how this should be sent. That there is nowhere to upload leads me to believe a hard copy should be sent but that is never explicitly stated. Obviously an email is in order but it seems like quite an oversight

[Grunty DaGnome]

Mail UMASS-Amherst samples to:

UMASS Graduate Admissions

530 Goodall Building

140 Hicks Way

Amherst, MA 01003-9333

There's a different adress if you send it fedex, but I don't have that on hand.

[Timshel]

Tweaking the size of my transcript scan on Photoshop so that it was still legible but met the TINY upload limit was a Sisyphean task...something so simple should not have taken so much time...

Also, anyone applying to UMass Amherst notice that though they require a writing sample there is absolutely no indication of how this should be sent. That there is nowhere to upload leads me to believe a hard copy should be sent but that is never explicitly stated. Obviously an email is in order but it seems like quite an oversight

Mail UMASS-Amherst samples to:

UMASS Graduate Admissions

530 Goodall Building

140 Hicks Way

Amherst, MA 01003-9333

There's a different adress if you send it fedex, but I don't have that on hand.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Please tell me this isn't true. We have to mail them materials? Seriously? That means I have to mail the stuff, like, now?!

[Grunty DaGnome]

I plan to send mine Monday, at which time I'm going to double check it with the department and also find out what they want for a cover page, but yeah. I'm pretty sure you mail it.

Oh, and I searched their site a million times before I figured this out. UMASS's site might win the prize on this thread ---with extra points for asking you to convert everything to PDF and then putting a prohibitive size limit on uploads.

Edited December 2, 2011 by Grunty DaGnome

[Timshel]

Ugh. Why would they need it in hard copy. I am seriously so irritated by this.

[halfpint]

Hey folks, I'm at UMass Amherst (English) now and the shortcomings of the website are definitely under discussion (the grad organization and also our graduate studies committee). Thanks for posting about this here.

[lolopixie]

Boom! Progress from gradcafe posts. Me likey!