Email from WashU?

[ophelia9]

I just got an email from the director of grad admissions at WashU saying the following: "Having reviewed your application for admission to our Ph.D. program in English, I would like to encourage you to apply for an Olin Fellowship for Women. [...] I hope you will indeed apply for an Olin. It's a generous fellowship, reserved for our finest students across the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences."

My heart tells me it's just a form letter sent to all the female applicants, especially because the application was only due like a week and a half ago. Sigh. But has anyone else heard anything?

[rainy_day]

Sounds like good news to me.

[poeteer]

If it were me, I'd keep a level head, but do a little secret dance. Meaning: I don't think it means you're definitely accepted, because the committee hasn't likely met to discuss, and you just don't know what's going to happen in that discussion (sometimes the line between waitlist and acceptance seems thin and/or dependent on several unpredictable factors), but of course it does look good for you. It sounds like a big deal fellowship that they'd only award to the top female applicant in the bunch, and that someone thought your application looked super promising. I don't really understand why else they'd so blatantly get your hopes up, unless it's something they send to women with high test scores and grades (if the Olin is decided by those factors, which it might not be). I suppose other women (with or without high scores) here applied to WashU, and can confirm if they, too, got one. Good luck!

[perrykm2]

Sounds like good news to me.

[Grunty DaGnome]

Maybe it's a form letter sent to women applicants, but only those who meet their minimum cut off requirements

I'd like to think you've cleared at least one preliminary hurdle.

[JeremiahParadise]

Sounds like good news to me.

Keep it cool, but I think it's OK to feel good about it! Great stuff.

[Origin=Goal]

Congratulations, hope appearance and essence are aligned on this one!

[darjeelingtea16]

I got a similar email from WashU, and in mine, it says "Our admissions selection committee has not yet met to discuss the applications, but the Olin deadline is fast-approaching..." and I applied to Comp Lit. I just got the email today and if it didn't require letters of recommendation, then I'd be all over this, but I feel like I can't just email my references and say 'Oh hey, btw, I've just decided to apply to this separate fellowship, the deadline is in like 5 days, and I need a letter from you." ? Bummer.    

[poeteer]

Do you really need to ask them to write another letter? I'm sure they wouldn't mind just submitting the letter they already wrote for you. It's weird that they ask you for letters when you already have the letters on file with your app -- what more could they actually say?

[Origin=Goal]

I agree on the above post-- I can't imagine they expect you to cough up another couple letters just like that. You should email WashU to clarify, if its not too late.

I got a similar email to the OP asking for a FLAS essay by Monday. Doing my own "secret little dance" right now!

[darjeelingtea16]

Yeah in the short time since I posted that, I've already decided to try for it. I've emailed my references and I'll see what they say. My essay for it will probably be a tweaked version of my SOP, so I suspect they probably could just submit their letters for me...hmm.

Edited January 21, 2012 by darjeelingtea16

[Origin=Goal]

Although I'm stoked about the possibility that the email I got about this fellowship application *might* indicate admissions possibility, asking applicants to write up response essays over one weekend is cruel!

[felicite]

I didn't get that email and was accepted with full funding. I wish I had received that email!