CUNY grad center: online application or mail in?

[LivePoetry123]

Hi everyone, this is just a paranoid double-check. I had thought that the application for CUNY grad center was a totally mail-in-hard-copy one, but someone recently posted on here talking about their online application. Am I being retarded? Which one is it? I found their website pretty confusing, so I could well be wrong....

[woolferine]

There is a portion of the application that is online (can be accessed here, right side of the page: http://www.gc.cuny.edu/Prospective-Current-Students/Prospective-Students/Admission-Requirements), but they want hard copies of the SOP, Writing Sample, Resume/CV, as well as a written agreement form (which I got a copy of after I submitted my online portion). Good luck!

[Rupert Pupkin]

I have a problem relating to CUNY.

I completed my online application and mailed everything in early last week. On Friday afternoon I received an email claiming that they have received my application, but my transcript is missing. This is impossible as I sent everything in one envelope including my official transcript. If my other materials were received, I don't understand how my transcript was not received.

For some reason, they sent the email after 5 on Friday, meaning I have no chance of hearing from them until tomorrow.

[cquin]

Yeah, CUNY is a pain in the ass.

That is all.

[cquin]

But yes, they want a hard copy of everything except for LORs and the application form itself. The app needs to be filled out online, and all they really ask there is the basic stuff: name, mailing address, DOB, intended program, recommendation providers' email, etc. Writing sample, SOP, CV, and official transcripts need to sent in one big envelope to the admissions office.

[ecritdansleau]

Yes--while usually application guidelines are described in helpful detail on the department webpage, the CUNY's barely gives any information whatsoever. Considering the exorbitant application fee, it's kind of annoying that the information given is relatively opaque about the simplest facts of applying there (part of the app is online, part is in the mail, etc). Up until more recently, the links they gave to the graduate school website were broken (did anyone else notice this in Sept/Oct?)--so annoying, when they basically say "go here for more information" and it didn't work.

Edited December 11, 2011 by ecritdansleau

[ecritdansleau]

Bleh, I'm actually really annoyed, because now I'm confused about how they want test scores.

"The City University of New York Graduate Center application process is self-managed. Responsibility for gathering required documents such as official transcripts and letters of recommendation rests with the applicant. The applicant (this includes students who are attending or have attended a college of the City University) then must submit these supporting items as a package to the Office of Admissions, including official documents in their original sealed envelopes."

So if we officially directed our GRE scores to them, we should have ordered them ourselves, kept them sealed and sent them in with our big package?

If responsibility rests with the applicant, then what is the $125 fee for? All the processing and sorting the graduate school avoids having to do?

[woolferine]

Yeah, it's really confusing. For what it's worth, I had ETS send GRE scores directly and I also had my transcript sent directly from my UG institution to CUNY (so neither the GRE scores nor the transcript were in the package I sent), and everything has been received (that is, they're showing as received when I log back into my application, and I got an email on Friday saying that my application was "complete for review purposes and will be reviewed by the admissions committee").

[ecritdansleau]

Yeah, it's really confusing. For what it's worth, I had ETS send GRE scores directly and I also had my transcript sent directly from my UG institution to CUNY (so neither the GRE scores nor the transcript were in the package I sent), and everything has been received (that is, they're showing as received when I log back into my application, and I got an email on Friday saying that my application was "complete for review purposes and will be reviewed by the admissions committee").

Ah, thanks, perhaps I'll be alright then! That's a relief.

[LivePoetry123]

Thanks for the help and solidarity-- CUNY is indeed a pain in the ass!! I now have two other problems: one, I can't find specific instructions for the statement of intent anywhere, like length or what topics they want you to address in it. I've already got a generic SOP pretty much written, but was anyone able to locate specific instructions? Also, I had thought that the LORs had to be in hard copy, so I got them in sealed envelopes from my recommenders and was going to just include them in my packet. But they are supposed to be done online?? ugh... I guess I could send my recommenders a frantic last-minute email asking them to upload, but, does everyone thing it'll be ok if I just include them in the packet??

[Grunty DaGnome]

I just used a general sop for CUNY. I also couldn't find specifics for SOP topics or length. As for letters, you may as well just mail them with the packet and then contact the grad. center and see if they need an electronic copy, then if they do, deal with it later.

[LivePoetry123]

thanks, glad I'm not the only one who couldn't find specifics. I will be especially glad to be done with CUNY's application. What a drag. It seems like such a cool program though.

[uhohlemonster]

so glad i read this. i didn't even realize that this stuff had to be submitted separately. oy. now i'm india, but ill be back by dec 30. deadline is jan 15. we're okay! thanks all

[Rupert Pupkin]

Unless I'm missing something:

Deadline for Fall Enrollment — Dec 15

[Grunty DaGnome]

For English it's Dec. 15th. For History, it's probably different.

[marlowe]

Thought I would re-post this here, just in case the school has some cronies paid to troll the message boards for information on how to improve the graduate application experience (like Amherst, for instance).

I mailed my CUNY-Graduate Center documents - writing sample, CV, transcripts - certified US Mail in plenty of time to reach NY by the deadline.

I submitted the application three days before the deadline, only to find out that they require you to print out and mail the Signature page, as well. Yet another frustrating aspect of the CUNY experience to go along with the whole 'we don't send reference requests until you submit' thing.

$20 later, next day delivery with signature required. CUNY lost a check that my sister sent last year; though I highly doubt that they are super strict on deadlines, I'm not taking any chances.

Edited December 15, 2011 by marlowe

[joy illimited]

I know this topic is a year old at this point, but CUNY does not seem to have improved in the past year. I emailed admissions for clarification but am also hoping to get a quicker answer here. My understanding is that we need to mail in the following:

-writing sample

-CV/resume

-official transcript

-signature page

-$125 check

It seems like there's a place to write your SOP in the online application (an annoyingly tiny window), and that seems like a departure from last year's application. Am I missing anything? My recommenders submitted their letters online, although it's quite frustrating that you can't check whether they've been received.

CUNY has the worst application I've encountered so far.

[JeremiahParadise]

Hi there,

Yes, I think this is the case -- I had somehow convinced myself that I'd be able to send everything electronically to the Graduate Coordinator, but I do not think that's possible. I plan to send out a package with all that stuff tomorrow morning. Woof. Can anyone say otherwise?

[thequeenofpigeons]

I had a cookies issue after I made my online payment and was taken back to the login page, so no idea of what I might have missed. Anything important?

[DontHate]

I paid online. I don't think you need to mail in a check